The present disclosure relates to an air conditioner and a method of controlling the air conditioner.
Air conditioners optimally condition air in a predetermined space according to the uses and purposes thereof. Such an air conditioner includes a compressor, a condenser, an expansion device, and an evaporator, and performs a refrigerating cycle for compressing, condensing, expanding, and evaporating refrigerant, to thereby cool or heat the predetermined space.
The predetermined space may be variously changed according to areas where the air conditioner is used. For example, when the air conditioner is installed in a home or an office, the predetermined space may be an indoor space of a house or a building. When the air conditioner is installed in a vehicle, the predetermined space may be a passenger space.
When an air conditioner performs a cooling operation, an outdoor heat exchanger installed in an outdoor unit functions as a condenser, and an indoor heat exchanger installed in an indoor unit functions as an evaporator. On the contrary, when the air conditioner performs a heating operation, the indoor heat exchanger functions as a condenser, and the outdoor heat exchanger functions as an evaporator.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an air conditioner in the related art.
Referring to FIG. 1, an air conditioner 1 includes a set temperature input part 2 for inputting a set temperature of an indoor space, an indoor temperature sensor 3 that senses temperature of the indoor space, and a control part 7 that controls operations of a compressor 4, an outdoor fan 5, and an indoor fan 6, based on temperature information sensed by the set temperature input part 2 and the indoor temperature sensor 3.
The set temperature input part 2, the indoor temperature sensor 3, and the indoor fan 6 may be included in an indoor unit, and the compressor 4 and the outdoor fan 5 may be included in an outdoor unit.
For example, when a temperature value sensed at the indoor temperature sensor 3 is higher than a set temperature value input through the set temperature input part 2 during a cooling operation of the air conditioner 1, the control part 7 may operate the compressor 4, the outdoor fan 5, and the indoor fan 6. The operation of the control part 7 may be performed until the temperature of the indoor space reaches the set temperature value.
As such, air conditioners in the related art control operations of a compressor and a blowing fan, based on a temperature value of an indoor space, and a humidity value is not considered in operating the air conditioners. When humidity is relatively high, a person may feel uncomfortable in the indoor space.
A capacity of air conditioners includes a sensitive heat load for decreasing indoor temperature, and a latent heat load for decreasing humidity of an indoor space. When the indoor temperature or the humidity is high, it is needed for the air conditioners to decrease evaporation temperature, thereby increasing a cooling capacity.
However, since air conditioners in the related art do not consider a humidity value, as described above, the air conditioners are designed such that evaporation temperature is equal to or lower than a set temperature in a refrigerating cycle, thereby having a sufficient capacity even in an environment such as summer where relative humidity is high.
When an air conditioner designed as described above is operated in an environment having low humidity, an excessive operation of a compressor may decrease operation efficiency, and excessively low discharge temperature may make a user uncomfortable.
To address these issues, a humidity sensor may be provided to an indoor unit to use a humidity value when an air conditioner is operated. However, when an air conditioner such as a system air conditioner has a plurality of indoor units, humidity sensors may be installed on the indoor units, respectively, which excessively increases costs.